Travel

A Foodie’s Dream: The Minnesota State Fair

**Bonus post!**

This past weekend Bryan and I got to experience one of Minnesota’s largest attractions: The State Fair. For the past month or so, the fair is all anyone could talk about. Locals brag about all the food and attractions so we were beyond excited.

In order to eat everything we want, we planned to spend two days exploring the fair grounds. That was still barely enough to see everything, but by the the end of day two our stomachs and wallets were in unison; we were done. Here is a list of everything we consumed while walking through the fair.

Taco Cat: Deep Fried Chorizo Tacos

Tastiest of all the food, these crunchy deep fried tacos were absolutely delicious. They were loaded inside with potato, meat, and onions. My only wish is that they had a bit more spice, but they were still spectacular. The verde topping was my favorite; Bryan and I were licking out the container once they were gone.

Sweet Martha’s Cookies

Most hyped fair food, and it is clear why. Sweet Martha’s cookies practically melt in your mouth. We opted for the bucket of cookies, knowing damn well we’d finish them within days. Good thing too, because it is impossible to eat just one. I heard a few people say they are only good when warm, but I disagree. The magic of these cookies continues even after they’ve been sitting a while.

Island Soba Noodles with Teriyaki Chicken

This was 100% Bryan’s choice; I much prefer rice to noodles. But I do love a good teriyaki chicken. This was delicious and perfect for us to share. We particularly enjoyed the crunch of the water chestnuts.

Giant Egg Roll, Garlic Cream Cheese Wantons, & Bubble Tea

The giant egg roll is what caught our eye. We took turns taking bites and it was definitely filling but so tasty. As Bryan was ordering his egg roll, the wantons looked so good, but I decided to pass. The second day of walking through, I couldn’t pass it up again and had to order some. Bryan decided to get a bubble tea for himself and we snacked and sipped. We’re split; I liked the wantons better and Bryan liked the egg roll better. I’m glad we got both!

Deep Fried Cookie Dough

We walked by this, and almost continued walking but intrigue stopped us. Deep fried cookie dough… that has to be interesting. We purchased it to share and yikes, I wish we hadn’t. It’s not that it tasted bad, but one bite in and I felt the sugar coursing through me. After a second bite, I’d had enough. Even for Bryan, who’s got the sweetest sweet tooth of anyone I know got sick of it quickly.

O’Gara’s: Pretzel Curds

Cheese curds tend to be a bit much for me, which is why these pretzel curds were an easy favorite. I’d heard about them from someone I work with and I’m glad I gave them a try. Crunchy pretzel exterior, soft cheesy interior, with the most delicious, slightly spicy sauce to dip them in. I’d definitely go back for more!

Granny’s Apples: Lemonade

At this point, Bryan and I were getting thirsty and looking for somewhere to take a seat. We found this small stand with lemonade and decided to grab a small one. This perfect blend was delicious and refreshing. It reminded me of the lemonade my mom made when I was a kid! It wasn’t too sweet or too sour; it was just right.

Bayou Bob: Alligator Sausage

There is no way for me to make this look appetizing; it just looks weird, but it wasn’t so bad. This tasted like any other meat, although it was a bit chewy. The deep fried alligator caught my eye but we weren’t wanting to spend $12 on such a small portion. Now I’m wishing we’d gotten it instead.

Urban Growler: Vanilla Latte

Vanilla. Latte. BEER. At the afternoon progressed, Bryan and I were eager find somewhere to grab some drinks. I wanted a sangria but the bar had run out so I ordered a summer shandy because I knew I’d like it. Bryan was more adventurous with his order and got a Vanilla Latte beer. It was crazy how tasty it was. Shortly after, we found out its a female-owned brewery in St. Paul. I can’t wait to make a trip there to try more!

Thelma’s: Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

This is another tasty treat I’d heard good things about. The small booth had no line as we were walking by so we grabbed one to split. Between the two of us, it was gone in no time.

Pronto Pups

Okay, for my Michigan people… this place claims to have “The Original Pronto Pup” I don’t know who was first and I’m not taking sides in this fight! All I know is that this was a really good corndog. Fun fact; I’ve never had pronto pups in Grand Haven so I can’t compare, but for someone who doesn’t like hot dogs, I enjoyed this pronto pup.

Summit On A Stick: Beer

The fair is famous for serving every kind of food on a stick; this brewery was creative by putting a flight on a stick! We enjoyed each brew, my favorite was the Oktoberfest.

As you can tell, we went all in for our first MN State Fair. After all of this, people are still telling us various places we missed out on… next year! What’s on this list that you’d want to try???